Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known as it prefers to feed on human blood.
The name bed bug derives from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially near or inside beds and bedding or other sleep areas. Bed bugs are mainly active at night, but are not exclusively nocturnal. They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed.
A number of adverse health effects may result from bed bug bites, including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms.
Bed bugs or their eggs get into clothing, furniture or suitcases and are then transported wherever these items go. As they are so small and like to hide in cracks and crevices during the day, it can be very easy for bed bugs to move into your home or hotel.
Bedbugs feed on human blood and are attracted to body heat and CO2 from sleeping humans. They inject an anaesthetic when they pierce the skin, so the bite can go unnoticed at first. Bed bugs usually visit their host for a blood feed just before dawn. When alarmed they move quickly and emit an odour.
Bed bugs lay 200 – 500 eggs over a 2 month period in batches of 10 to 50. The adult female must have a blood meal before egg-laying. The eggs are usually laid in crack and crevices and can be attached to items of furniture or fittings in clusters by a transparent substance. There are 7 stages to the lifecycle from egg to fully grown adult which can be from 45 days but may be up to a year. The typical life span of a bed bug is about 50 days to over a year depending on favourable conditions. They can survive for weeks to months without feeding.
